Elbe Day, April 25, 1945, was the date Soviet and American troops met at the River Elbe, near Torgau in Germany, marking an important step toward the end of the Second World War in Europe. April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Socialist republics/ Communist state Area  - Total  - % water Largest on the planet 22,402,200 km² Approx. ... The Elbe River (Czech Labe â–¶ (help· info), Sorbian/Lusatian Łobjo, Polish Łaba, German Elbe, Hungarian Elba) is one of the major waterways of Central Europe. ... Torgau is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths {{{notes}}} World War II, also known as the Second World War (sometimes WW2 or WWII or World War Two), was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ...

The first contact was made between patrols near Strehla when First Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue crossed the River Elbe in a boat with three men of an intelligence and reconnaissance platoon. On the East Bank they met forward elements of a Soviet Guards-rifle-regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Gardiev. The same day another patrol under Second Lieutenant William Robertson with Frank Huff, James McDonnell and Paul Staub met Soviet Lieutenant Alexander Silvashko with some soldiers on the destroyed Elbe bridge of Torgau. Strehla is a place in the district of Riesa-Großenhain, Saxony, Germany. ... First Lieutenant is a military rank. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... James Smith McDonnell (April 9, 1899 - August 22, 1980) was an aviation pioneer and founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, later McDonnell Douglas. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ...

On April 26 the commanders of the U.S. 69th Infantry Division of the First Army and the Soviet 58th Guards Division of the 5th Guards Army met at Torgau, southwest of Berlin. Arrangements were made for the formal "Handshake of Torgau" between Robertson and Silvashko in front of photographers the following day. Statements were released simultaneously in London, Moscow, and Washington that evening reaffirming the determination of the three Allied powers to complete the destruction of the Third Reich. April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... The 69th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II. World War II Activated: 15 May 1943. ... Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the U.S. First Army. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: â–¶ (help· info)) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 18th 184,824 km² 385 km 580 km 6. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ...

External links

• "Handshake of Torgau" between Robertson and Silvashko.
• First contact of Robertson and Silvashko on the destroyed Elbe bridge of Torgau.